Noticed Lately...

I was at the gym this morning when I heard two women speaking about a topic I've heard women discussing several times over this past week, and I haven't wanted to speak up. So I'm doing it now, and I'm doing it here so I don't offend anyone :)

What is the topic you say?

AGING, and the excuses that come along with it

Yesterday morning, I was in my wonderful kickboxing class. There was a substitute teacher, and though her formatted personality probably bugged everyone, including me, I was happy to see her giving us actual choreography. It challenges your body and mind, and it keeps things interesting. But again, I heard a woman say, "Too many steps...too hard..." when the teacher asked how everyone was doing. I said back to her, "I actually like it," and she said the dreaded statement I hear all too often: "Yea, well that's because...what are you twenty-something?" I answered with, "Yes, closer to 30, but that doesn't matter because I'm going to be the same way at 40 and 50 too!" If you're at the gym, you're there to exercise, and if the teacher is making the class easy, what is that really doing for you? Wouldn't you rather have the class be a bit challenging and make your body really work for it?

Then this morning, as I started to say earlier, I heard two women on machines next to me, complaining for a full 10 minutes about their ages and bodies. One tried to convince the other that their bodies are just fine because they are older now and they can't expect their bodies to look like those of 30 or 40-year-olds. Why the heck not?! At least try for it, right?

Yes, the body changes as we get older, but why are people using that to the extreme and accepting lumps and bumps that they never had before? I'm not saying I won't feel more tired and less energetic, but if I do, I will not allow that to stop me. I use myself as an example because people often tell me that I help to inspire them, and that is what I am hoping to do with this post.

It's time to go for what you want and stop letting age define you. You are as old as you feel. Eat right and exercise, and you're more likely to feel like a 20 or 30-year-old.

(Check out my latest post about the gym at Sweat And The City too: http://sweatandthecity.com/Extra-Extra)